Tvoi Event
What makes a Tuscan celebration special is that it rarely happens in a city: it takes place on a hillside, among vineyards or in an old villa. The flip side is that the venue is a drive from the airport, public transport is thin in the evening, and guests arrive from several countries at different times. Good logistics are invisible. Nobody stands at a station with a suitcase, nobody hunts for an address on a phone, nobody wonders how to get back to the hotel at one in the morning. Below is the order of work that lets guests arrive calmly and keeps the hosts out of the phone calls. We cover airports, ways to reach the venue, hotels, shuttles and what guests need to be told.
Which airports to use
The two main gateways are Florence (Peretola, FLR) and Pisa (Galileo Galilei, PSA). Florence works well when the celebration is in the city, in Chianti or near Siena. Pisa often wins for Lucca, Versilia and the coast. Pisa usually has the wider choice of direct flights from European cities, while Florence airport sits closer to the city centre. Guests from far away often fly into Bologna or Rome instead. From Rome, a fast train reaches Florence, and Bologna is also connected to Florence by rail. The drive from the airport to the venue itself depends on the villa: some are around half an hour from a city, others take noticeably longer. For that reason it is better to choose the airport after the venue is fixed, not before.
How guests get from the airport to the venue
There are three workable options: a train to a major city followed by a taxi or transfer, a rental car, or an organised transfer from the airport. A rental car suits people who plan to stay in Tuscany for several days, but nobody should drive back from the celebration after a glass of wine. Trains are fine for city events, yet they rarely reach a villa in the countryside. An organised transfer is the easiest solution for groups: guests are met at arrivals, taken to the hotel or straight to the venue and brought back at the agreed time. It needs one thing, accurate flight details. When people land on different flights, transfers are grouped by arrival time, and anyone landing at an awkward hour gets a separate car or a night near the airport.
Where to house the guests
There are two quite different approaches. The first is to lodge everyone near the venue: in the villa itself, in nearby farm stays or small hotels. Nobody travels far, and the evening turns into a shared stay of several days. The second is to house guests in Florence, Siena or Lucca, where there is more choice and time to see the city, and to run a shuttle to the celebration. When choosing, look beyond the room rate. Check the distance to the venue, parking and reception hours. For guests with small children or elderly relatives, pick the option with the fewest changes. Reserve a block of rooms early: in high season the good hotels near popular villas are often full many months ahead.
Shuttles on the day and the return at night
In the Tuscan countryside a taxi can take a long time to arrive in the evening, and sometimes never does. Shuttles therefore belong in the programme: one departure from the hotel to the ceremony, a return after dinner and one or two runs later at night, for people who want to leave early or stay for the dancing. Nobody who has had wine should be behind the wheel. Send the timetable in advance and repeat it on paper: departure time, pick-up point and the name of the person in charge. Vehicle size depends on the guest list, and smaller minibuses are better where the roads are narrow. Check this early, because a large coach cannot reach some villas and boarding may have to move to the nearest suitable stop.
What to tell guests, and when
Guests need one document, not ten messages: dates, venue address, shuttle times, a list of recommended hotels, dress code, weather notes and a phone number for the person who can help. A short letter or a PDF works well, repeated in a messenger group. For international guests, prepare it in their language. The first invitation with date and place goes out early, so guests can buy tickets and book hotels. The detailed timetable follows a few weeks before the event, and a reminder with the contact person and last changes goes out a couple of days ahead. Ask guests to confirm their flights and return a short form with allergies and wishes, because transfers and the menu both depend on it.
Typical mistakes
The most common mistake is choosing a venue without checking how people will reach it. A beautiful villa deep in the hills with no shuttle becomes a problem for half the guests. The second is leaving no time for the road in the schedule. If the ceremony is at four and the drive from the hotel is longer than expected, the start slips, and the light, the dinner and every vendor arrangement slip with it. Another mistake is leaving each guest to sort out their own travel. Some rent cars, some arrive late, some find themselves without a ride at night. One person in charge of logistics, who collects flights, groups transfers and stays reachable on the day, removes a whole layer of worry from the couple, the birthday host or the family organising the celebration.
Guest logistics checklist
- Fix the venue before choosing the airport
- Collect flights and arrival dates for every guest
- Reserve a block of hotel rooms early
- Plan shuttle times, including late-night runs
- Check that a coach can actually reach the venue
- Send guests one letter with address and contacts
- Name one person reachable on the day
Leave the logistics to a coordinator
Tvoi Event takes care of guest arrivals, shuttles and the late-night return: one coordinator collects flights, agrees transfers and stays on the line all day. Send a request through the form or WhatsApp and we will prepare a written estimate.